Author Archives: Steve

Follow these steps to get featured on the Explore Tab and grow your Instagram following

Since its inception, Instagram has been the top social network for sharing and discovering visual content. The Explore Tab within the Instagram app is one of the main avenues leading this discovery of great content and Instagrammers. The Explore Tab works to surface relevant content to you so working to be included in the Explore Tabs of your fans and customers should be a top goal of your social media marketing efforts. These actions will help you build a presence with a new audience leading to your account gaining more followers.

About the Explore Tab

Before it became the Explore Tab, the ‘Popular Page’ was designed as a way to show the most popular content on Instagram. This surfaced the most liked and commented posts shared on the network. It was common for the Popular Page to feature content from top ‘grammers such as Justin Bieber and other well-known celebrities. It was great for accounts who had a large following but it was difficult for the average Instagrammer to be discovered and it certainly wasn’t the best way to find content tailored to your specific interests.

Now the Explore Tab shows you content of relevance to you. The updated Explore Tab is now personalized making the content shown unique to each Instagrammer. Rather than just the most popular content globally, it surfaces the most popular posts specific to your geographic area and to the people you follow. The Explore Tab now does a great job of exposing content to people who previously wouldn’t have seen it. When your followers like a post you’ve shared it’s now possible for that post to be seen in their follower’s Explore Tab. This creates an environment for increased relevancy in the content discovery process giving you the best (if not only) way to gain viral reach with the content you’re sharing on Instagram.

Making your content discoverable

Since the Explore Tab serves the purpose of surfacing content that’s relevant to each Instagrammer, your top priority is to make content relevant to your target consumer. This happens from posting captivating content which they want to see while driving engagement from them. This means your engagement needs to focus on not just gaining a lot of interactions but rather gaining the right interactions. Being featured on the Explore Tab is what happens from following the right practices with your Instagram marketing so we’ve outlined the steps you need to follow to be featured.

1. Know your target consumer

The first step to getting your content discovered on Instagram is knowing who you want your content to be discovered by. Analyze the content being shared by your community with tools like SEEN Insights to understand who your audience is and the themes surrounding their sharing. This will give you an idea of what interests them and what styles you should be sharing with to increase engagement.

2. Know your moments

The second step is to understand your brand’s moments. This step is closely tied with understanding your community. With the consumer analysis you looked out at your community to understand what they’re sharing, now you’ll gain an analyze what you’re sharing to see how those posts are performing. You know your business but do you know how your community is interacting with it? Look at the Relative Engagement of all the posts you’ve shared and you’ll begin to spot patterns in the types of posts that perform better than others. These are the types of posts you’ll want to be sharing more frequently to drive the engagement that will lead you to the Explore Tab.

3. Create great content

Apply these lessons to share captivating content. By knowing what content your community is sharing and which of your posts create the most engagement, you can begin to predict and replicate the success of your posts. Each of your posts should match the themes that your community shares with while still following the patterns you identified which create the most engagement. It’s difficult to be featured on the Explore Tab without good content to be featured. Along with the photo itself, include thoughtful captions with targeted hashtags to these posts to help spread their reach. We provide lots of tips on best practices for posting. Subscribe to our blog to learn more!

4. Engage the right people

Understanding who your community is and what they like will help you with the next step of interacting with your community. One of the most important factors Instagram looks at to determine relevancy are the interactions that link different Instagrammers. Like and comment on your community’s posts to build a common bridge between you and establish the relevancy for your content to be discovered by their followers. Additionally, inspire conversations and interactions on your posts to continue in the efforts of building the relevancy for your content.

5. Know what works

Know what works. It’s hard to execute these steps flawless the first time. It takes practice and the regular right actions to be featured in the Explore Tab. Constantly measure your efforts to know what’s working with your posting and interacting. Rinse and repeat each of these steps to gain more followers on Instagram.

Instagram Followadder – List Management Video

As Instagram announces it has hit 400 million users, here’s how to get the best out of the photo sharing social network

Are you one of Instagram’s 400 million monthly active users? The picture sharing platform has now surpassed Twitter’s 316 million monthly tweeters, with some 14 million based in the UK alone. This also means that with more than 47 million followers, over one in 10 Instagrammers follow Taylor Swift. Here’s how to make the most of the network, and pick up some extra followers along the way.

Lil Bub and Nasa are two of the most popular Instagram accounts Photo: iamlilbub | Nasa instagrams

Use #Hashtags Wisely

When used moderately, hashtags are a useful method of categorizing the pictures you’re choosing to share with the world – making your photos more relevant and likely to get the attention they deserve. Take it too far, however, and the only likes you’re likely to garner are from spam accounts. Overdoing it with the #squadgoals #instagood #eatclean and #justsayin will only irritate your genuine followers, and lead to a load of ‘This really works! Click here to find out more!’ comments. No one likes a hashtag abuser.

Interact with Your Followers

If someone asks a question or pays you a compliment, replying to them generates a bit of conversation and lets your followers know you appreciate them. Conversely, it’s probably not worth getting into an argument with someone who posts a negative comment.

Know what’s Popular…

The law of the internet dictates that cats, dogs, sunsets, beaches, cupcakes, shots of your feet and Starbucks cups are generally well-liked subjects – anything likely to earn you the honorary title of a basic bitch. It’s up to you to decide whether this kind of path is your Insta destiny, but anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good puppy picture is not worth knowing. If you can combine two or more of these subjects in the one photo, even better.

…But don’t necessarily stick to it
Some of the best Instagram accounts are among the strangest. Thinking creatively and showcasing a talent, be it drawing, singing, dancing, photography or something else entirely should not be underestimated.

Don’t be Tempted to Pay for Followers or Likes

There are many sites out there that will let you buy 1,000 ‘followers’ from as little as $20, or £13. Whilst this initially makes you look more popular and influential than you actually are, it can prove deceptive to brands if you’re actively trying to make money from your account. Not to mention that it makes you look desperate.

Set-up Your Instagram Account

1. Create your Instagram for Business account – It’s easy to make a business account on Instagram.

2. Make a business username – Use your business name as your username. If it is taken, choose a username that is instantly recognized with your brand.

3. Complete your profile – Include a cool, branded photo, a short informative bio, and a link to your website.

4. Connect your account to Facebook – Instagram is owned by Facebook. Connect these two very powerful social media sites to boost your marketing efforts.

5. Make an Instagram tab on your Facebook page – this enables you to instantly share your Instagram photos to your Facebook Fans.

6. Create a brand specific strategy – Keep your Instagram content strategy focused on your brand’s unique way of seeing the world. Instagram is a photo (and now video) sharing site. Connect your business with your ‘tribe’ on Instagram in a consistent and particular visual way.
Use Hashtags

7. Use hashtags (#’s) in your updates – Hashtags are a major part of Instagram. It’s a big way of how users can find you through their mobile Instagram searches. Unlike on other sites (such as Twitter), you’re not limited by character count. Include a few tags (but not too many – or you’ll look desperate) in your posts to get connected.

Here are a few strategies in using hashtags:

8. Use brand specific hashtags’s – Include your business name in some of your post hashtags. Also, use unique tags for particular marketing campaigns you run. For example, if you’re hosting a photo contest on Instagram, make a unique tag just for that campaign. This tactic both promotes your contest, and it gives your consumers a distinct tag to connect with others participants (so they can see their competition!).

9. Use general hashtags’s – Include general tags on your posts, to be found for your products or lifestyle posts. For example, if your business is a coffee shop, and you post an image of your scrumptious latte, include tags like #latte or even #coffee.

10. Use trending hashtags’s – Trends on Instagram can happen at lightning speed – and they are often even quicker to go. If you spot a trend, and it fits with your brand, use it. Your post could literally be seen by thousands of interested consumers in a matter a minutes.

11. Run an Instagram Hashtag Contest – A hashtag contest allows your fans and followers to upload photos under a certain hashtag. All submissions are then displayed in a voting gallery on you Facebook Page, website, etc.

12. Monitor your brand hashtags – Your consumers are using your tags to connect with you. Be sure to keep checking your Instagram hashtags’s, just like you would your Facebook Page and Twitter mentions. Respond to comments and concerns quickly, and you’ll build happy customer relationships.

Focus on Your Customers

13. Make your followers famous – Share followers photos on your social sites. Show your customers you appreciate them by acknowledging their cool photos, and share them with your Facebook fan or Twitter followers. NOTE: be sure to ask permission to use their photo first!

Starbucks is one of the top 3 brands on Instagram. They use this tactic frequently. Every few weeks they show appreciation for one their followers, by giving a shout out to cool image makers. The images include their products. They take it one step further by updating their Facebook covers, using the Instagram photos. Their fans love it.

14. Embed followers’ photos – Instagram now enables you to embed Instagram photos on your website and other sites. Use this, like Starbucks, to show cool images of your brand and product from your Instagram followers by embedding the entire post. Make sure you tell them you’re showcasing their image, to make them feel appreciated, and to get their permission to use it.

17. Respond to comments on all your posts – If someone comments on your posts, respond to them. This is particularly true when then comment is a question, or even something negative about your brand.

18. @mention your customers – @mentioning is another huge part of Instagram. @mention your followers, your customers, and any other user with great photos of your products. You show appreciation for them, and you get to engage with your market.

19. @mention celebrities and other related industry leaders – If your images are about celebs – let them know. They may just appreciate it enough to share it with their followers!

20. Focus on engaging your customer – Post images with your customer in mind. Post about more than your product. Make your business Instagram about lifestyle, and authentically connecting with your customers.

How To Save 20% on Follow Adder

Why pay full price if you don’t have to! Here’s how to get 20% Off Any Followadder Package, the Best Instagram Software for managing multiple profiles.

Follow the Steps Below to get your App Discount:
• Go to FollowAdder.com
• Click on the Pricing Tab
• Look over the packages and pick the one that works for you
• Click the “Try It Now” Button
• Enter your Email
• Enter Coupon Code “instaedge” (Without Quotes).
• Press Continue

You will receive an email with your registration code and login info.
When you finish your 7 Day Trial, you will begin receiving a 2o% Discount.

How Much Will This Coupon Code Save You?
Below, I have broken down exactly how much you will save using this 20% Discount Code for Followadder on each package available.

Monthly Savings
Starter Package – Save $3 per Month

Professional Package – Save $8 per Month

Publicist Package – Save $29.80 per MonthThe only difference between the packages is the amount of accounts you can manage.